1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an attachment structure for attaching a rotating connector used as an electric coupling member for such component as an airbag system of an automobile to a steering column via a bracket.
2. Description of the Related Art
The rotating connector attached to a steering device of the automobile is formed by storing and winding a flat cable in annular space between a stator member and a rotor member while allowing the stator member to rotatably support the rotor member. It may be employed as the member for electrically coupling an airbag inflator or a horn installed in a steering wheel with limited number of rotation with a control circuit and the like installed in the automotive body. Generally, the rotating connector of the aforementioned type is positioned so as to be attached to the bracket fitted into the cylindrical steering column which encloses the steering shaft.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-18864 discloses the rotating connector attachment structure as described above which allows the stator of the rotating connector to be positioned with respect to the bracket at the side of the steering column by inserting one guide pin into the other guide hole, and then fixed through screwing or snap connection.
In the aforementioned generally employed rotating connector attachment structure, a predetermined clearance has to be formed between the guide pin and the guide hole for positioning. Such process as screwing and snap connection may fail to accurately define the relative positional relationship between the stator member and the bracket in the plane direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the steering shaft, which is likely to cause looseness between the stator member of the rotating connector and the bracket at the side of the steering column. It is therefore difficult to attach the rotating connector to the steering column with high positioning accuracy.
The known rotating connector attachment structure for eliminating the looseness between the stator member of the rotating connector and the bracket at the side of the steering column is structured to cause the crash rib protruding from the stator member to be urged and crashed against the inner wall surface of the bracket as the rotating connector is assembled with the bracket. With this structure, once the rotating connector is removed from the steering column for the service or the inspection, it cannot be attached to the steering column with high positioning accuracy again.